


Long Stems In the Name Of

by Nevcolleil



Series: Moses Family Values [3]
Category: Inception (2010), White Collar
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 06:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13565178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevcolleil/pseuds/Nevcolleil
Summary: Moses men know one way to love.





	Long Stems In the Name Of

**Author's Note:**

> This can be considered a prequel to 'the Pragmatist'.

It isn't the first time he's got the message. It's the first time he's gotten it on a lazy Sunday sleeping in, when his bed partner is - for once - resting peacefully at his side, not snoring up a storm or already instigating some early morning sex.

Not that Arthur is ever adverse to early morning sex, but a quiet Eames is a rare Eames, and Arthur was reveling in the novelty when he heard his phone trill.

Arthur's ease abrupty ends, the moment he calls the number Neal's SOS was texted from.

Because Neal doesn't answer.

A woman does. 

From the tremble in her voice as she says "Hello" like it's a question - a desperate one - Arthur knows three things. One: this is the Burke Neal's been having an affair with. (Arthur knew that Neal was sleeping with at least one of them - his FBI handler, Peter, or Peter's wife, El. Apparently, Neal's been banging the wife of the one man who can send him back to prison. Wonderful.) Two: Arthur will have to wait to kick Neal's ass over it, because obviously Neal's in trouble. Three...

Neal's in trouble. Which means Arthur's going to have to hurt someone before this day has ended. He may be an idiot sometimes, but Arthur's brother is still one of the most important people in Arthur's life. And nobody messes with someone Arthur loves without paying for it.

"Hello, are you... Arthur?" the woman - El this must be - says. "Neal- Neal told me to call you. To call you if-"

Her voice stutters and stops, on a sigh or a sob - it sounds like El's pulled the receiver away from herself, so Arthur can't tell which. Arthur goes cold. He thought, when he heard the nervous rush of her words, that he'd be hearing that Neal had gotten himself locked up again. Caught with his pants down (literally this time), but the sinking suspicion that this is something different, something worse, washes over him.

As if he can sense Arthur's growing horror even in his sleep, although Arthur isn't moving - may not actually be breathing - Eames begins to stir. Arthur lies still, stiff, cannot divide his attention.

"What's happened?" he manages to say in what he thinks is a neutral tone of voice, but Eames sits up suddenly, looks to him in alarm like he's screamed. 

Sometimes it's really fucking annoying being known so well. 

Arthur is actually hoping that El will tell him that Neal's been arrested, but those hopes are dashed when El says, "He was working- He was undercover, on a case..."

Arthur is breathing. Too much, he realizes. He feels light-headed and Eames places a hand on his shoulder gently, like he's afraid of how Arthur will respond to the touch. Arthur's started putting two and two together. Neal told El to call... He wouldn't give Arthur's number to someone for just anything. Especially not to an FBI agent's wife - not even one he'd taken as a lover. There's only one question Arthur needs answered in this moment, then he'll know what to ask next. 

"Is he alive?"

This time, Arthur's sure El sobs, and the world stops for a moment, then El says, "Yes. But the doctors- Arthur, Neal is in a coma. He told me... before he left, he said I should call you if... If something like this happened. Peter doesn't know about you yet, but-"

Arthur doesn't know why she would, but just in case- "Don't tell him." Arthur is out of bed, efficiently finding and tugging on items of clothing and Eames is dressing nearby. "I can be in New York in..." Arthur pauses to fish his wristwatch out from under the bed (Eames was zealous last night) and check the time. He calculates airmiles in his head and curses aloud.

"Arthur..." There's something in El's voice... Arthur isn't sure what, but something that helps him understand how Neal could risk his freedom to be with another man's wife. There's a softness but also a strength in El's tone, and still that shaken terror that tells Arthur that whatever Neal risked... He risked it for a woman who truly loves him. Who is genuinely terrified that he won't make it. "We don't know yet if- You should hurry."

"I will." He'll call fucking Saito if he has to. Arthur flips his phone closed.

"Arthur-" 

Eames is standing in the doorway when Arthur's ready to walk out of it, and he opens his mouth to tell him to move, to apologize, to explain-

But Eames just kisses him, hard, and says, "You go. But text me when you're wherever you've got to be so quickly, will you? And I'll be there."

Arthur kisses him back. "I fucking love you, you know that?"

"I do." Eames's eyes are knowing and dark. "Try to keep it in mind that I feel the same while you're waging the war I see brewing in those eyes, hmm?"

Arthur knows that Eames will understand when he says just one word. "It's about Neal."

Eames's eyes darken further. Arthur could practically reach out and grasp the concern that creeps over Eames's face. Eames knows Arthur's family almost as well as he knows Arthur. "Well, then..." He says, failing miserably to lighten the mood. "Try to save some of the bloodletting for me."

Arthur makes no false promises.


End file.
